


Lost Souls

by Iverna



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Canon Divergence, Gen, Missing Scene, milah deserved better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 21:42:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7378438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iverna/pseuds/Iverna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>... in which Milah helps Killian defeat Hades, and they both get to go where they belong. (An alternate take on Killian's mission in the Underworld, because Milah deserved a better fate.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Souls

He isn’t fast enough. Killian watches the book fly from the grasp of the thing that emerged from the River of Souls, watches as it slides along the ground – and he’s running, throwing himself forward, arm already outstretched. His body hits the ground hard, but he barely feels the impact, all of his attention on his target—

His fingers brush the spine, just a moment’s touch, and then the book tilts over the edge and there’s a soft splash.

His first instinct is to dive after it, but he checks it. He would forget his mission the moment he touched those waters.

The book is gone. He has failed.

Killian rolls over and struggles to get up, feeling as if his entire body is made of lead. He makes it to his knees, but that’s where he stays, staring down into the water. “Well,” he says. “That’s that, then.”

“No.” Arthur sounds stunned, almost incredulous. “It can’t be— _no!_ ”

 _Denial, grief, anger_ , Killian thinks, but he doesn’t say it this time. Because it’s stupid, and he hates it, but the foremost thought in his mind is… “There must be another way. We’ll find another way. There has to be something—”

The rules have changed, he remembers. Those trapped in there can now get out. But there’s no indication they remember who they were, and he cannot chance that, not until he’s truly out of other options.

“Hook!” Arthur exclaims, but Killian doesn’t need the warning. He’s already seen it: a flicker of movement below, a shape moving closer than the others, the glow growing bigger and brighter.

And it’s fast.

Arthur’s hand is on his shoulder, tugging him back from the edge. He’s barely begun to fall backwards when the figure emerges from the water, a hand curling around the stone.

But this time, it isn’t a skull-faced wraith climbing up to attack him. This time, the figure hesitates, and his eyes grow wide with recognition.

She looks different than the last time he saw her. Her dark hair is tied back and plastered to her head, her clothes – Storybrooke clothes, not the pirate garb she once favoured – dripping and clinging to her skin. And there’s a green glow all around her, casting an eerie light onto the stone around her hand.

But her eyes, when they meet his, are the same as always.

“Milah,” he breathes.

Her face is full of wonder. Wonder, and a very familiar determination. “Killian.”

Arthur is still pulling him back, waving the torch at the edge of Killian’s vision. “Get back!”

“It’s all right!” Killian shakes off the king’s hand and pushing forward again, his hand reaching out to take Milah’s. “It’s all right. She won’t hurt us.”

Milah smiles at him. And then her other hand comes up, and slams something down onto the stone pier beside him.

The story book.

She reaches for his hand then, and he pulls her up, out of the River of Souls and into his arms. She’s soaking wet, and he’s reminded of the time they had to fish her out of the ocean after a particularly feverish battle. “Milah.”

“Hey.” Her voice is muffled against his shirt. “I didn’t know you were here… I thought—” She pulls away abruptly. “Didn’t Emma rescue you? What happened?”

“She—I—” He shakes his head. “It didn’t work out.”

“I’m sorry.” Worry is creasing her brow. “Is she okay? Did Rumple… I’m so sorry. I couldn’t stop him.”

“Stop the crocodile?”

“I tried to warn her before he flung me into the river,” Milah goes on, and it’s like an ice storm engulfs Killian’s chest. He did it again. The bastard went and did it again. “Killian. Is she okay? What happened?”

“Emma’s fine, love,” he says, putting all thoughts of the crocodile and vengeance out of his head. “But she needs my help. She needs this book.”

“It seemed important,” Milah agrees.

“How did you know?” he asks.

She flashes a smile. “You fought for it.”

He hugs her again.

It takes a few moments to go through everything – the book, Arthur, Hades. Killian doesn’t have any proof that his message has reached Emma, but he knows. He can feel it.

And then there’s a bright glow from the doorway ahead, and Arthur is gone, and it’s just the two of them. Just Killian and Milah, standing close together and looking into the light.

“Thank you,” Milah says, startling him. “I was lost down there. It was like a dream, a never-ending dream where nothing seems to matter. But then… there was this book. And I heard your voice.”

He smiles. “That book has a way of reaching people who need it.” He reaches for her hand and squeezes it. “I’m so glad you made it out of there.”

“Me, too.”

He nods towards the light. “Now you can move on,” he says. “Be with your son.”

“Baelfire,” she breathes, and the smile lighting her face is a balm for Killian’s battered soul. “Yes.”

“Go on, then,” he says, giving her his most dashing smile. “Ladies first.”

She moves as if to walk forward, but turns and hugs him again instead. And it hits him, really hits him, that they get a goodbye this time. He can hold her and see her smile and know that she is headed for happiness.

“Wherever you’re headed, I hope you’re happy,” she says, and he can hear the tears in her voice. “Wonderfully happy.”

He smiles past his own tears, remembering a day in the sun long ago and his proclamation, that he was happy, wonderfully happy, with her by his side. “And you.”

Her arms tighten around him once more, then she steps back, tearful but smiling. “Goodbye, Killian.”

He takes her hand and lifts it to his mouth, brushing his lips over her knuckles. “Goodbye, Milah.”

She laughs, a delightfully free sound, and turns away. Killian watches as she disappears into the silvery light. The lead has seeped out of his body, and he squares his shoulders and walks onwards, forwards, towards whatever is next.

There is a talk with a god, a more pleasant one than most he’s had. There is a long hallway lined with arches. There is more light.

There is Emma Swan, her back to him.

And then she is in his arms, and showering him with kisses, and he is still not entirely sure what happened, but it doesn’t matter. He is here, and she is here, and they are happy - wonderfully happy.


End file.
